Our Family

We have a big announcement. Kendra Leigh & Kathryn Renee made their grand entrance Tuesday April 20, 2010. Kendra was born at 7:40 pm weighing in at 3 lbs 11 oz & Kathryn was born at 7:41 pm. They were born at one day short of being 31 wks. The doctors tried 3 different medicines to try to stop my labor but nothing worked. The girls wanted to come. So they rushed me back and had a c-section. The girls were rushed away to the NICU. I got a glimpse of them in the incubators before they were rushed off and I didn't get to really see them until the next day due to my surgery. Nothing really prepared me for what how they looked. I've never seen a baby that small and I wasn't prepared to see so many cords hooked up to them.

 Below is Kathryn Renee

 Above is Kendra Leigh

The girls were on c-pap machines, occasionally they had to have a little bit of oxygen but most of the time they were just on room air. Which is very good considering their gestational age. They were on heart monitors, IV's, feeding tubes and other monitors. Everyone was telling us that they were doing very well. So that helped a little.

 Mommy's first time to hold one of them, This is Kathryn.

Daddy's first tine to hold Kathryn

They were able to come off the c-pap machines that Saturday. A couple of days later they were able to come off the IV's. I was excited about that b/c kept on having trouble with keeping their IV's in. Their veins are so small. Both girls had jaundice here are pictures with the lights.

The blue light is Kathryn.

 here is Kendra's hand with Daddy's ring

Kendra's foot with Nana's hand

Above is Kendra

Above is the first picture of the 4 of us.

Mommy's first time to hold both of the girls together

Kendra is on the left & Kathryn on the right

Daddy's first time to hold them together

Above is Kathryn

Below is Kathryn

Below is Kendra

Miss Kendra

Miss Kendra's little feet...which she loves getting them out of the covers.

Miss Sleeping Beauty - Kathryn

A volunteer made these signs for the girls...aren't they cute!

Above Nana & Below is Grandma both pictures are the first times to hold the girls

 

 Proud Pop and two of his girls

 Proud Uncle Rhett with Kendra

 and with Kathryn

 They told us that they would be in the NICU for 4-6 weeks. We've got 3 weeks down and ???? to go. They are doing well. They started nipple feeding and nursing. They still have the feeding tubes b/c they get tired and can't finish their meals. They said that they are a little ahead of schedule on the breathe suck and swallowing development. Yippee!! They are gaining weight and today May 12th they get to see how they are going to do outside their incubators. As of last night they both weigh 4 lbs 4 oz. which is great b/c Kendra dropped down to 3 lbs 2 oz and Kathryn dropped down to 3 lbs 4 oz. So both of them has gained 1 lb.

I know I have a family picture of the four of us and sometime soon we will have all 5 of us in one picture, I can't wait for that one. Lynnde has only seen pictures of the twins. I don't think she fully understands yet. No one under the age of 18 is allowed into the NICU. There are strict rules for going back there. We have to scrub in when we enter the unit. Only two people are allowed by the bedside and one person has to have the arm band. Chris and I are the only ones that have the arm bands. We take them off when the girls get to come home. This week Chris and I are starting our classes (we've got 3 to take) that we've got to take before bringing them home. Also before we are discharged we are drilled on certain things and then we have to do a room-in. Chris and I will spend the night in the hospital in the NICU and we have I think 24 hours that we can only contact the nurses in case of an emergency. Testing our parenting skills, fun stuff.


As for myself. I'm healing well. I'm able to drive now and I've also been able to lift on Lynnde a little here and there. It still is very sore but that is part of the healing process. I've recovered after this surgery faster than I did with Lynnde. I guess my body just remembered what happened the first time. I'm able to go to the hospital every day to see the girls and give them my love. Chris, due to his work schedule, is only able to go Friday, Saturday, and Sundays.  Chris & Lynnde are doing great. Lynnde has been cutting teeth and has been going through little tantrums and so much drama. Some of which is she is going through the terrible twos and the other part is she knows something has changed but doesn't understand fully. It is going to be a major adjustment when the girls come home from the hospital. We are hoping she adjusts well. We know that she might have trouble at first but we feel that she is going to be a loving big sister.

I want to thank everyone for their gifts, food, calls, child care for Lynnde, and prayers for our family. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we go through this time away from our baby girls. This has been a very hard time, but they will be home soon.

-Carrie